“He did really well at the start, and throughout all the match he was playing really nice tennis from baseline,” Djokovic said. “It was a tough match. I needed to fight all the way through every set, and I served well when I needed to and played my best tennis when it was most important.”

There were two men’s upsets on the day as Russian Dmitry Tursunov took out No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-6(7), 6-4, 7-6(7), and Uzbek Denis Istomin advanced when No. 28 seed Florian Mayer retired with a thigh injury down two sets to one.

American qualifier Jack Sock was a straight-set winner over Spaniard Guillermo “G-Lo” Garcia-Lopez, and will next meet Haas.
ADHEREL
Troubled Aussie Bernard Tomic retired with injury against Victor Hanescu, then regarding his even-more-troubled dad told the media, “He’s here in Paris. He’s still working with me. He’s still my coach. He’s still my dad, and I love him a lot. Nothing’s changed. The injury to my leg is the only thing I’m worrying about.”

No surprises in the end on the women’s side Tuesday with only 10 matches completed, and all six seeds in play advancing.

“It was a very long day,” Bartoli said. “I started at 11 o’clock and then again at 2 and we finished at 6, so it was a very long match, and I think the rain delay was to my disadvantage, because I think I was dominating a little bit and I think she was able to regroup in the break. She started to play really well and missed pretty much nothing, and was hitting her backhands really strong and deep. If I lost this match I don’t think I’d have any regrets because I was really doing the best I could.”

It is really a good start for Novak and a fine launching pad for realizing his ultimate dream of winning Rolland Garros. What this match could have done to Novak is to regain his confidence back which has faltered a bit. The tough ask has just now begin and there is a mountain hill to climb. I think Novak is not new to this and he always has the knack of converting challenges into opportunities.

These are best-of-5 slam matches. The amount of experience and success that Fed, Djoke, and Nadal have had in this format is in a different league compared to the rest of the field. I would be shocked if all three don’t reach the semi. Its tough for anyone else to take 3 sets from them in one match. Only they do it to each other most of the time.

Its early stages. Lets see in 4-5 days as to how the draw looks in the round of 16.

Wish I could watch Gulbis and LaMonf but I’ll be travelling. : / Hard to predict that one, but obviously Gael will have crowd support. Both of them are great to watch (and both can be abysmal too); hopefully it lives up to potential.

Ferru has done it strong through Montañes.
Next Feliciano, who sometimes has upset him, and must be playing well.
About Nadal: there was another great spanish champ, cyclist M. Indurain, who was beaten in the Tour de France, amongst others, by the rain of that particular year (1996?)
Some French experts have said that like I-don’t-know-what XIX century’s year, this year could not exist the summer season in West Europe.
just to comment…

The woman is an animal,the WTA is in need of an oponent that can really test her,theres only Vika at her absolute best,Sharapova looks great against everyone else but Serena makes her look average,Stosur did it once but was unable to back it up with any consistency,i miss Henin and Clijsters who seemed to be the only players would could really push her.

Really happy Monfils, he’s so lovely, won but Gulbis kind of let him.
Got so erratic and seemed far more puffed than Monfils in the 4th. Surprising really as M has only just come back from yet more injury.
@Ben, not sure about that a) Gael won’t come off the baseline and b) makes, and continues to make, horrendous shot selections at key points.
Has had endless coaches who seem unable to fix either of those.

Margot, he lacks the discipline. But imagine a Federer or Nadal mind in Monfils’ body. He is super long, super fast, super strong. Easy power off both sides, great touch, big serve, lots of variety in his strokes. If he had a great tennis mind, he’d be unbeatable. The only whole in his game is his head.

Kimberly, thoroughly disappointed in the Heat. Getting sick of staying up late just to be let down.

The problem with Federer recently is that he could play a flawless match one day but come out extremely flat in his next match. And that has been happening rather frequently recently. He does not have the same focus he had when he was younger.

Totally agree with Ben @2:10 Monfils is such a talented player, but the word discipline is not in his vocabulary. Such a shame, really. I love to watch this guy play……almost as much as I do Rafa….but not quite!!!

I don’t know if this is a good interview or not. Gulbis is definitely growing up but the press needs to, I don’t know, stay on topic? They went from today’s match to a Henman match to his play against the top 4. I mean, I don’t know. Gulbis’ answers were good, though.

I like Gulbis. I like his personality. I agree with him. The top 4 give boring interviews. It’s really nothing new. But this reaction is hilarious. He’s saying what we all know but it’s a criticism of the top 4’s INTERVIEWS and look at all of the overreacting! Tennis is gonna need to ease it’s way back into the trash talking days of past. Clearly it’s not ready for the mega-intense personality of Gulbis.

Rather than judging Gulbis, since ultimately NO ONE here knows him on a personal basis and it’s just what one gauge’s from something unreliable as the media (as we know it present anything according to the agenda it has on hand) let’s look at what he argue’s:

That the top 4 are a boring bunch of personalities.

IMO: he’s right.

Including Rafa too here.

Their interview’s are monotonous, repetitive and also feel so computer programmed: where is the personality?

And it’s starting to detract from the game too.

Roger and Rafa are huge crowd puller’s due to their on court charisma but as soon as they vanish from the scene: who on earth is going to bring the crowd in from the rest?

For example:

This year when Rafa and Roger both withdrew from the MIAMI MASTERS their director publicly stated what a huge bummer it was for the tourny, and said that ticket sales have dwindled as a result.

That’s not good news considering MIAMI is one the game’s top 10 biggest tour event’s.

Not good news at all.

IMHO: this is due to the lack of personalities on show at the top.

They ALL seem so stripped of any individuality off court that they seem nothing other than a corporate’s advertising tool.

On court really only Roger and Roger due to their skill and on court charisma are able to attract more fans, but once they go- as the Miami tourny director touched upon- then what?

The game need’s more personalities- both on and off court, otherwise it’s going to head the way golf is at the moment: a niche sport that gains coverage but hardly dominate’s it in the world of sport.

Just because he hasn’t won a lot of slams doesn’t mean he can’t point out that the top 4 and most of the top 10 give boring interviews. This is nothing new! It’s not like he’s saying they’re crappy tennis players. He reserves that for the rest of the top 100 ;)

Federer gives the most boring interview followed very closely by Nadal. However, these two remain the top ticket sellers on the tour. So it is what you do in the tennis court that counts. As the saying goes, “Action speaks louder than words.”

“Just because he hasn’t won a lot of slams doesn’t mean he can’t point out that the top 4 and most of the top 10 give boring interviews.”
He hasn’t won any, his best result was QF at FO 2008.
John McEnroe (I loved him) could say and do anything, he was winning GS titles and he was best in the world, and he was genuine, so you cannot compare them, not at all. I saw documentary about McEnroe and the way his father raised his boys, cannot be more further away from the way Gulbis was raised. Of course Gulbis can have his opinion, but what weight it has and how seriously we are going to look at it considering that tennis is only his hobby;)

Wog boy, you haven’t been reading his interviews this year, have you? Gulbis has been serious about getting his career on track. His results haven’t been superb but it’s not like he’s just going to start winning everything because he wants to. It’s a process and he gets that now. And if you consider that we’ve been talking about him being a dangerous opponent for a solid 3, 4 months now, that’s serious progress for him. Before he’d come out once every year or so. Now he’s been steadily rising.

Winning slams doesn’t give you credibility to criticize someone’s interview. Nor does not winning any hurt your credibility. Again, he’s not insulting their tennis. If he said “I don’t like how Roger plays, it’s not that great” then that would be something to say “who the hell are you?” Otherwise, it’s really not a big deal. Everyone IS extremely conservative in their interviews. He’s not saying anything outrageous here. We discuss it on this site all the time and none of us are even making the qualifying of slams.

Ben, I haven’t been reading his interviews this year, but I read one more than year ago, when he said 2012 is most important year for him and if he doesn’t do any good in tennis, he will be considering quiting tennis, I even posted then, here what I think about him.
Winning slam gives more credibility and more people listen to what you have to say than what Gulbis, Rosol and likes have to say. I will definitelly pay more attention what Roger or Raf have to say than the other too.
Main thing we keep forgeting when it comes to top4 interviews is that they have contracts with sponsors, ATP, ITF you named it and that they are role models for kids, you cannot say what you want and how you feel, these are not the times of 70’s 80’s . Rafa, Roger, Andy, Nole are not the same when they are in their iner circle of friends, but they are simply forced to be PC when they give interviews and is what Gulbis doesn’t understand or doesn’t want to understand. Didn’t we have case with Novak stepping out of the line few times and was forced to adjust himself in the last couple of years. I will repeat myself, we live in corporate world and they dictate the terms and conditions.

I remember that. I guess he decided to give it another go. But what do Roger and Rafa ever say that’s particularly interesting?

I’m not forgetting that at all. And I’d like to think Gulbis knows it, too. But it sucks. And again, it just proves his point. Their interviews are boring. Why? They’re too PC. Why? Because the general public is filled with overreacting hypocrites who can’t handle hearing their own opinions from someone else’s mouth. We jump on Gulbis for saying he thought he played better than Nadal but have you ever talked to a tennis player after a match? They ALWAYS say that. And they believe it. It’s part of being a competitor. But the media gave Gulbis so much flack like what he said so just outrageous and he should’ve gotten on his knees and started kissing Rafa’s feet. I mean cmon! Give me a freaking break. Let these guys be themselves for change. I loved how brash Djokovic used to be. I love how he said he felt in control when he was down 2 sets to love (a statement pretty similar to what Gulbis says, no?). But now he doesn’t say anything and it’s a shame.

I have always liked Gulbis. Sure, he was a real tantrum throwing, racquet tossing brat when I saw him live in Indian Wells. But it is entertaining. (Glad all players don’t all act that way, however) Anyway, that was in 2011 and he was saying he hated tennis. Now he is trying to get something out of himself – so I wait and watch. I’ve always liked his interviews. He did very well in the latest interview fielding the questions, given that the interviewer seemed to be attempting to lead the questioning and make more of a story than there is. ( Ben’s link) He sounds open and honest and knows what he has to do. Never heard him sound better, really.

Boring interviews come from boring interviewers. It’s the same old questions over and over. I bet the players dread walking into the press room…..and I can understand why. IMO Roddick was the best in the press room. Loved his comebacks. I miss him.

If we are to believe Niki Pilic, and I trust his judgment, after Novak, Gulbis is the most talented player that went through his academy and didn’t live nowhere near his potential. As I said once, Pilic made more 40 top 100 players in his academy, so I believe he can reconize talent.

@Brando
Andy used to do brilliant interviews and then, in one, he made a light hearted response to some teasing about Scotland being rubbish at football. Since then, he has been pilloried and reviled by a segment of the British public who, to this day, claim he is “anti-English.” No wonder he withdrew and has become so guarded in interview. Plus he has a very dry sense of humour, which let’s face it, many don’t “get.”
His tweets are far more entertaining.
@Ben
Courier said Monfils has the “ideal” athlete’s body, out of all the tennis players. Can easily see him as a runner.

@Margot:LOL, I couldn’t agree with you more! Especially about Andy’s tweets- some are really priceless stuff.:-) Me thinks if the real Andy came out of the closet personality wise then his would be hilarious press conference with some real witty barb on there for good measure. IMHO I think Roger and Rafa are pretty much what they seem to be: pretty polite, nice guys who are not all that different from what you see. I used to think Novak was a Safinesque kind of personality but he has toned it down to such a boresome extent- with him it seems very mechanical now in his behaviour. As for Andy: yep he got jumped on badly by the media for the England WC comment. Personally, I did not see anything wrong with it at all, but naturally the media are always going to make a headline out of nothing. I miss Marat Safin. :-(